The Unique Brain Response to Native Language: Insights from Polyglots

The article from Science.org, authored by Natalia Mesa, explores a fascinating aspect of language processing in the brain, particularly in polyglots—individuals who speak multiple languages. The study focuses on how the brain responds differently to native and non-native languages, even among those who speak numerous languages.

Key Findings from the Brain Imaging Study of Polyglots

1. Polyglots’ Brain Response: The study observed that familiar languages elicited a more robust reaction in the brain than unfamiliar ones. However, native languages, surprisingly, provoked relatively less brain activity.
2. Special Place for Native Language: The findings suggest that native languages hold a special place in the brain. This is evident from the reduced brain activity required to process native languages, indicating a higher cognitive efficiency for languages learned early in life.
3. Study of Hyperpolyglots: The research included those like Vaughn Smith, who speaks 24 languages. Hyperpolyglots are rare individuals who speak more than ten languages, representing only 1% of the global population.
4. Understanding the Human Language Network: The study contributes to understanding the human “language network,” a set of specialized brain areas in the left frontal and temporal lobes crucial for connecting sounds with meaning.
5. Methodology: The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map out language networks in the brain. Participants listened to recordings in various languages, including their native language, languages learned later, and unfamiliar languages.
6. Brain Activity and Language Familiarity: Brain activity varied based on language familiarity. Interestingly, brain areas worked harder when participants heard unfamiliar languages closely related to ones they knew well, possibly as they tried to decipher meanings based on language similarities.
7. Expertise Reduces Brain Power Needed: The study aligns with previous findings that expertise in a field reduces the amount of brain power needed for related tasks. This efficiency seems more pronounced for skills, such as language, learned at a young age.

The study sheds light on the unique way our brains process native languages compared to non-native ones, even among polyglots. It highlights the brain’s efficiency in handling languages learned early in life and contributes to the broader understanding of language acquisition and processing.

For a deeper dive into the study and its implications on language processing in the brain, read the full article on Science.org: Your native tongue holds a special place in your brain, even if you speak 10 languages.